Being hit by a car as a pedestrian is one of the most violent things that can happen to a person. There is nothing between you and the vehicle. The injuries are almost always serious. And in the days and weeks that follow, the medical bills, the inability to work, and the physical pain layer together into a situation that feels impossible to manage alone.
If you were struck by a vehicle in Greenwood, SC, you have the right to hold the driver accountable. State law protects people on foot, and a driver who fails to yield, runs a red light, or crosses a center line while distracted is legally responsible for the harm they cause. Our pedestrian accident lawyers at Hite Law Firm fight for injured pedestrians in this community. We have handled these cases for more than 40 years and handle every aspect of your matter so you can focus on recovering.
Tell us what happened in your accident. Your consultation is free and comes with no obligation.
Pedestrian Safety in Greenwood, SC
South Carolina is one of the most dangerous states in the country for people on foot. Pedestrian fatalities rose from 173 in 2022 to 187 in 2023, representing roughly 15% of all traffic deaths in the state for that year. Nationally, 7,522 pedestrians were killed in 2023 alone, a 16% increase from 2018. Over 1,100 people were injured in these accidents in a single year statewide.
In Greenwood, the highest-risk locations tend to cluster along the city’s major commercial and roadway corridors. Montague Avenue, Highway 25, and the Bypass 72 business loop carry high traffic volumes alongside areas where people walk to shops, restaurants, and services. Intersections near Lander University and Piedmont Technical College see steady foot traffic from students and staff. The area around Self Regional Healthcare on Spring Street generates consistent activity around a heavily traveled road. When drivers are inattentive, speeding, or impaired, the people on foot pay the price. Serving Greenwood and the Lakelands for decades, our firm has seen the full range of these accidents and the real impact they have on people’s lives.
What Causes Most Pedestrian Accidents in Greenwood
Pedestrian crashes are almost never random. They happen because a driver failed to do what the law requires. Understanding the specific cause of your accident is the foundation of your injury claim. Our Greenwood pedestrian injury attorneys investigate the full picture so nothing is missed.
When the Pedestrian Is Partially at Fault
Insurance companies almost always argue that the pedestrian shares some responsibility for the crash. They point to jaywalking, distraction, dark clothing, or failure to use a marked crosswalk. The modified comparative negligence rule reduces your recovery by your percentage of responsibility. If you are found 51% or more at fault, you cannot recover at all.
These liability arguments are often inflated and sometimes fabricated. A driver who was speeding, distracted, or impaired bears primary responsibility regardless of where the pedestrian was crossing. The Greenwood pedestrian accident lawyers at our firm challenge every inflated assignment with evidence and push back hard before any settlement number is discussed. As an experienced pedestrian injury lawyer team, we know exactly where these arguments fall apart.
Injuries When a Car Strikes a Pedestrian
Pedestrian crash injuries are routinely among the most severe in personal injury law. Without any protective barrier, the full force of the vehicle transfers to the person’s body. Even at relatively low speeds, the impact can be catastrophic.
- Traumatic brain injuries, including closed-head trauma that does not appear on initial scans
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Broken legs, hips, pelvis, arms, and ribs
- Internal organ damage and internal bleeding
- Severe road rash and skin loss from impact with pavement
- Soft tissue injuries to joints, ligaments, and muscles
- Facial fractures and dental injuries
- Psychological trauma, PTSD, and anxiety disorders resulting from the incident
Many of these injuries require emergency surgery, extended hospitalization, and months or years of rehabilitation. The medical costs extend well beyond what has been billed in the first weeks after the crash. Future surgeries, ongoing physical therapy, home modifications, in-home care, and reduced earning capacity all belong in a well-documented personal injury claim. Our attorneys work with medical and economic professionals to make sure none of those future costs are left out of the compensation calculation.
South Carolina Law and Pedestrian Rights
State law gives pedestrians clear legal protections on public roadways. Drivers are required to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, both marked and unmarked. They must exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian and must sound a horn when necessary to warn someone in their path. Drivers must also yield when a pedestrian is crossing a roadway at any intersection, even where no crosswalk is marked.
These duties apply regardless of whether the pedestrian was technically in the right place. A driver who hits someone crossing mid-block may still bear significant liability if they were speeding, distracted, or otherwise failed to exercise the care a reasonable driver would. Courts evaluate the totality of the circumstances, not just whether a pedestrian used a crosswalk. Insurance companies know this and still use crossing locations to reduce compensation. Our attorneys push back on that argument consistently.
When a Government Entity May Be Liable
Not every pedestrian crash is entirely the driver’s fault. In some cases, poor road design, missing or inadequate crosswalk markings, broken traffic signals, obstructed sight lines, or inadequate lighting at known pedestrian areas contribute to the crash. When a government entity is responsible for maintaining the road or intersection where you were hit, it may share liability. These cases have different procedural rules and shorter filing deadlines than standard personal injury matters. If any road or infrastructure condition played a role in your crash, contact our office promptly so that those deadlines are not missed.
What Compensation Is Available After a Pedestrian Accident
State law allows injured pedestrians to pursue both economic and non-economic damages from the at-fault driver and any other liable parties. The full value of a serious case is almost always larger than what an insurance company offers in the first weeks.
Economic Damages
- All medical expenses, past and future, including emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, and medication
- Lost wages for time missed from work during recovery
- Reduced earning capacity if your injuries limit your ability to work going forward
- Costs of home modifications or assistive equipment required by your condition
- In-home care and assistance during recovery
Non-Economic Damages
- Physical pain and suffering, both during treatment and long-term
- Emotional distress and psychological harm from the incident
- Permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life and limitations on daily activities
- Loss of consortium for a spouse or partner
When a Pedestrian Accident Is Fatal
When a driver strikes and kills a pedestrian, surviving family members have the right to pursue a wrongful death claim. The personal representative of the estate files the civil action, which can recover lost income, loss of companionship, grief and emotional suffering, and funeral expenses. A survival action may also recover the losses the deceased person experienced between the impact and their passing. Our wrongful death attorneys handle both cases when a fatal pedestrian crash occurs in the Greenwood area.
What to Do After Being Injured as a Pedestrian in Greenwood
Your actions in the hours and days after a pedestrian accident significantly affect your ability to recover fair compensation.
- Call 911 immediately. A police report documents the driver’s information, the location of the crash, witness names, and the officer’s initial observations. Request a copy of the report number before leaving the scene.
- Accept emergency medical care. Self Regional Healthcare on Spring Street is the primary emergency facility for Greenwood County. Go there or to the nearest facility, even if you feel you can walk away. Internal injuries, brain trauma, and spinal damage can present hours or days after the initial impact.
- Document what you can at the scene. Photograph the vehicle, the road, any crosswalk markings or signals, your injuries, and the surrounding area. If others witnessed the crash, get their contact information.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the driver’s insurance company. Adjusters call quickly, often before you have retained an attorney. They are trained to use your words to reduce your compensation. Direct them to your attorney.
- Do not settle quickly. Early offers do not account for the full scope of future medical costs, long-term disability, or non-economic losses. Once you sign a release, you cannot reopen the claim.
- Contact a Greenwood pedestrian accident lawyer promptly. The statute of limitations for personal injury claims is three years under S.C. Code § 15-3-530. Claims against government entities may have shorter deadlines. Acting early preserves evidence and positions your case before the insurer builds its defense.
How Our Greenwood Pedestrian Accident Attorney Team Handles These Cases
Pedestrian crash cases require prompt, thorough investigation. Traffic camera footage and dashcam recordings are overwritten on short cycles. Skid mark patterns and road conditions change. Witnesses forget details. We move quickly when a new pedestrian matter comes in to lock down the evidence before it disappears.
We also challenge fault assignments aggressively. Insurance companies in pedestrian accidents almost always argue that the walker shares significant responsibility. Our attorneys anticipate those arguments, build the evidence that counters them, and document the full scope of your losses before any settlement conversation begins. As a team serving Greenwood and the Lakelands for over four decades, we understand how local insurers and defense attorneys approach these cases.
If the at-fault driver was operating a commercial vehicle at the time of the incident, your pedestrian injury claim may involve carrier liability and federal regulations in addition to standard negligence principles. Our truck accident attorneys handle those cases when a commercial driver is responsible.
For serious injuries involving spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injury, or permanent disability, our catastrophic injury attorneys handle the long-term legal strategy that these cases require.
Serving Greenwood and the Surrounding Area
Hite Law Firm has represented injured people in Greenwood and throughout the Lakelands region for more than 40 years. Our pedestrian accident lawyers handle these cases on a contingency fee basis. There are no upfront costs and no hourly fees. We collect nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Consultations are available by phone, by video, in person, or at a location that works for you.
Contact our Greenwood pedestrian accident attorney team today for a free, no-obligation case review.
